Automatic separator



April 25, 1939. c. w. HERRIN 2,155,489

AUTOMATIC SEPARATOR Filed June 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVE'NTQR:

7 Charles Wflernz'n,

ATTORNEY 25, 1939. c w HERR|N 2,155,489

AUTOMATIC SEPARATOR Filed June 15, 1936 3 -Sheet 2 CharZes WJ-[errim ATTORNEY,

c. w. HERRIN Aprll 25, 1939.

AUTOMATIC SEPARATOR Filed June 15, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet C6 INVENTOR.

C/zarZes W'Her-nz'n,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlE Application June 15,

7 Claims.

My invention relates to a separator in which a stream of falling granular material is subjected to the effect of a blast of air which carries the particles through one or more segregators where- 5 by they are separated in accordance with their different specific gravities.

The apparatus has been designed more particularly for the separation of free gold from sand, gravel or other gangue, but it may be used to advantage in any connection where granular materials of different specific gravities require to be separated.

To obtain good results in the practical operation of the apparatus the blast of air should be continuous and act uniformly on the falling particles. It is also desirable that the material supplied to the apparatus should be as uniform in size as practicable, although good results may be had when differences 1'. size are held within due limits so as not to clog the apparatus. It is also desirable that the material should be presented to the action of the blast in the form of a thin stream only a few particles thick and of approximately the full width of the blast.

The apparatus is designed so that it will not be necessary to stop operations for removal of the separated particles as the latter are discharged as fast as the material is fed to the apparatus, thereby enabling the separation of a large amount of material within a given period of time. The apparatus is also designed to effect separations without the aid of acids, water, mercury, or the like, and therefore can be used economically in separating gold and other precious metals from gangue in dry districts where water is not available.

My apparatus and the method followed in its operation utilize the foregoing features of construction and operation as will hereinafter appear, and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a vertical cross section on line i4 of Fi 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a group of supplemental partitions.

In carrying out the invention I employ a suitable housing 2 equipped at its forward portion 55 with a hopper 4 into which the material to be 1936, Serial No. 85,344

separated is fed. The hopper 4 is provided at its bottom portion with a narrow outlet 6 which extends almost the entire width of the housing 2 in order to discharge the material in a thin stream so that it can be effectively acted upon by the air blast supplied by a blower 8 having an inlet duct Ill and an outlet duct 52, which latter extends into the housing 2, as shown by Fig. 3. Admission of air to the blower 8 is controlled by a valve M slidable in a casing l5 mounted on the inlet duct ii].

The interior of the outlet duct I2 is divided by a suitable number of main partitions I 8, two being shown in the present instance. The partitions 18 comprise relatively deep chambers spaced to leave main air passages 20 which in turn are divided into a multiplicity of supplemental air passages 22 by a plurality of supplemental partitions 24. The supplemental partitions 24 comprise a number of parallel plates spaced one above the other and connected in groups by suitable means such as threaded rods 26 and nuts 28. In the present instance I have shown two groups in each main air passage 28. The main and supplemental partitions i8 and 24, respectively, are

located below the hopper 4 and the rear walls 39 of the main partitions i8 slope downwardly and rearwardly while the groups of supplemental partitions 22 are arranged in step formation to cooperate with the sloping walls 38 in directing the stream of material into the receiving ends of a number of segregators 32, Fig. 3. As the rear ends of the uppermost groups 24 are exposed to the abrasive action of the falling material they will become worn out more rapidly than the front ends, so the uppermost groups are reversibly arranged in order that the front ends may also be presented to the abrasive action of the material. The lowermost groups are also reversibly arranged and are transpcsable with the uppermost groups so that the former may be placed on top of the latter for use until both ends are worn out.

The s-egregators 32 are placed one above the other in the housing 2 and each comprises a pair of side walls 34 spaced apart and united by a series of transverse flights 35 each of which is stiffened by folding its forward portion into triangular form as shown at 38. Each flight 36 is held in position by lugs 4t pressed from the respective side walls 34 and fitting snugly within the adjacent ends of the triangle 38. The segregators 32 are inclined upwardly toward their discharge ends and are removably mounted in the housing 2, so that access may be had to the groups of supplemental partitions 24 for the purpose of changing the positions thereof as above mentioned. When the apparatus is assembled the segregators 32 are firmly held within the housing 2 by tie-rods 42 which extend transversely through said housing and clamp the side walls thereof firmly against the side walls 34 which in turn are firmly pressed against the adjacent sides of the flights 36. The flights 35 are inclined downwardly towards their front ends to prevent material from lodging thereon. They also overlap each other and are spaced apart to leave passageways 43 through which the separated materials may fall from one segregator to another and finally be carried off by spouts 44 removably suspended beneath the passageways 43 in the lowermost segregator 32. The spouts 44 are suspended from suitable means such as bolts 4% extending through upturned flanges 48 on the lower margins of the housing 2. As shown by Fig. 3, the passageways 3 are approximately rightangular so that the material passing downwardly therethrough can not be blown backwardlyinto said passageways by the air blast.

The upper wall of the housing 2 and the lowermost flights 35 of the respective segregators 32 are provided with downward and rearward curved deflectors 59 adapted to return any eddy currents which might form in the segregators back into the main blast.

The intermediate portion of the apparatus is supported upon a transverse member 52, secured to a pair of standards 54, and the rear portion of the apparatus is supported by a rod 55 connected at its upper end to a transverse member 58 secured to the standards 54. The lower end of the rod 56 is connected to a transverse member 60 fixed to the upper portion of the housing 2.

In operation the material is first run through a screen (not shown) to remove large particles likely to choke the apparatus, and then fed into the hopper 4 through the narrow outlet 6 of which the material falls by gravity in the form of a wide, uniform and thin stream upon the uppermost group of supplemental partitions 24 which discharge the material into the uppermost segregator 32 where it is subjected to the blast of air discharged through the upper group of supplemental air passages 22. The force of the air blast is so regulated by the valve i4 and the speed of the blower 8 as to permit the heaviest particles to pursue a downward zigzag course and escape through the initial spout 44 while the remaining particles are blown up into the segregators 32 where they are spread over the flights 36 and separated in accordance with the respective gravities, the heavy particles falling through the initial passageways 43 and escaping through the second spout 44, the next heaviest falling through the second passageways 43 and escaping through the third spout 4 2, and so on up until the lightest particles, or dust is blown out the discharge ends of the segregators 32. If desired receptacles, not shown, may be placed beneath the discharge ends of the spouts 44 to receive the separated particles and thus prevent any possibility of the different grades becoming intermixed.

While I have shown three segregators, it is to be understood that this number may be reduced or enlarged in accordance with the volume and difference in gravities of the material to be separated. I also reserve the right to make such other changes and modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an automatic separator, an air duct, means above the discharge end of said air duct for feeding a falling stream of material to be separated, superimposed segregators communicating with the discharge end of the air duct and adapted to receive and separate the material, main partitions spaced one above another in the discharge end of the air duct and having rear walls sloping downward towards the receiving ends of the respective segregators for directing the material into the latter, supplemental partitions interposed between the main partitions and the upper and lower walls of the air duct spaced apart to leave intervening air passages paralleling said air duct, other supplemental partitions located between the main partitions and spaced apart to leave intervening air passages paralleling the air duct, all of the foregoing supplemental partitions comprising parallel plates arranged in step formation to coact with the sloping rear walls of the main partitions in directing the material into the segregators, and means for forcing an air blast through the air duct and the segregators to coact with the latter in separating the material.

2. In a separator, a segregator comprising a series of removable overlapping flights spaced apart and each being folded to provide passageways of approximately right angular form between said flights, and a pair of side walls having lugs pressed inwardly therefrom and adapted to fit within the folded portions of the respective flights tohold the latter in assembly with said side walls.

3. In a separator of the character described, a segregator comprising a series of overlapping flights spaced apart and having openings therein, a pair of side walls between which said flights are removably mounted, lugs on said side walls fitting within the openings in the flights, and means extending through said side walls and the openings in the flights to cooperate with the lugs in holding the side walls and the flights in assembly.

4:. In a separator of the character described, a plurality of superposed segregators, each comprising a series of overlapping flights spaced apart to permit separated materials to fall from one segregator to another, and a pair of side wallsbetween a which said flights are mounted; means pressed inwardly from said side walls and removably engaged by the respective flights to maintain the same in spaced relation; and tie-rods extending through the side walls to cooperate with said means in holding the flights in assembly with the side walls.

5. In a separator of the character described, a housing open at its ends and bottom, a plurality of superposed segregators arranged in said housing, each comprising a series of removable overlapping flights spaced apart to permit separated materials to fall from one segregator toanother, and a pair of side walls between which said flights are mounted; spouts suspended from the housing beneath the spaces of the lowermost segregator; means for drawing the side walls of the housing firmly against the side walls of the segregators to hold the last-mentioned side walls and the flights in assembly; means for supplying the segregators with materials to be separated; and means for causing a blast of air to flow through the segregators to cooperate therewith in sep arating the materials.

6. In an automatic separator, an air duct,

means above the discharge end of said air duct for feeding a falling stream of material to be separated, a segregator inclined upwardly towards its outlet and communicating at its inlet with the discharge end of the air duct, a main partition arranged in the discharge end of the air duct and having top and bottom walls and an end wall which latter slopes downward towards the inlet of the segregator for directing the material thereinto, and a group of supplemental partitions interposed between the bottom Walls of the air duct and said main partition and spaced apart to leave intervening air passages paralleling the air duct, said supplemental partitions being arranged in step-formation to coact with the sloping end of the main partition in directing the material into the segregator.

7. In a separator, a segregator comprising a pair of side walls, a plurality of removable overlapping fiights spaced apart and each having an opening therein, rods extending transversely through the side walls and longitudinally through the respective openings in the flights, and means cooperating with said rods for drawing the side walls firmly against the adjacent sides of the flights.

CHARLES W. HERRIN. 

